Black Hawk Bridge meeting ... Iowa Department of Transportation Cultural Resource Project Manager Brennan Dolan addressed a capacity crowd Wednesday, May 2 at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library regarding the Black Hawk Bridge project proposed by the Iowa DOT. He spoke of historic properties identified in a DOT study associated with the bridge project, and also shared an engineer’s report regarding the project. Photo by Susan Cantine-Maxson.
by Susan Cantine-Maxson
Brennan Dolan, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Cultural Resource Project Manager, met with interested area residents regarding further discussion pertaining to the Black Hawk Bridge project plan Wednesday, May 2 at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library. A full house listened and asked numerous questions as Dolan and colleagues Shelby Ebel, Bryan Bradly and Emily Randall reviewed the findings of the Iowa DOT in regard to the proposed Black Hawk Bridge project.
This was the fourth meeting of DOT officials with the Lansing Historic Working Group. The two purposes of this meeting were to: 1) discuss historic resources identified as a result of the project area for the bridge and 2) discuss the options that the Iowa DOT, Wisconsin DOT and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have considered for rehabilitation and reuse of the current bridge.
Saturday, May 11, a full-scale emergency response training exercise was conducted through Allamakee County Emergency Management in various locations throughout the local area, including the town of New Albin, Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon and the long-term care facilities of Good Samaritan Society-Postville, Good Samaritan Society-Waukon, Northgate Care Center in Waukon, and Thornton Manor Nursing Center and Thornton Heights Assisted Living in Lansing. This training involved New Albin Fire and Rescue, the City of New Albin, the Lansing/New Albin Police Department, Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, Waterloo Hazardous Materials Training Center, Veterans Memorial Hospital, Allamakee County Emergency Management Agency, staff of the participating long-term care facilities and representatives from the Northeast Iowa Local Emergency Planning Committee.
The Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board invites the public to its Annual Dairy Days Parade, which will be held in Lansing Monday, June 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The parade will start at Kee High School, travel through downtown on Main Street, south on Second Street and back west on John and Center Streets to end up at the school.
Those wishing to have an entry in this year’s parade should line up at Kee High School in Lansing between 7-7:15 p.m. For more information, call Jeremy Peake at 563-568-4120.
Valedictorians or top graduating seniors were honored by KWWL Television and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in a ceremony held Saturday, April 27. The students took part in KWWL’s 35th annual “Best of the Class” celebration on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls. Madisen Ahlstrom from Waukon High School, daughter of Brian and Vicki Ahlstrom of Waukon, was honored as a member of the 2019 Best of the Class. Best of the Class students were videotaped on the UNI campus for a series of public service announcements, which are scheduled to air on KWWL’s Channel 7 and can also be found on KWWL.com. Quincy Media Regional Vice President Jim McKernan noted, “KWWL is proud to be associated with an event that shines a light on these outstanding students, their families and schools.” In its 35 years of recognizing academic excellence, KWWL’s Best of the Class has honored over 4,400 top graduating seniors.
Whether high school students’ career goals include becoming a biologist, teacher, accountant, welder or a nurse, the opportunity to take college courses while in high school brings them even closer to their dream job, more quickly and affordably.
More than 2,800 high school students took advantage of these opportunities from 2017-2018 because of concurrent enrollment agreements between the schools and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). Last year, 2,848 students out of 6,045 total NICC students, or 47 percent, were high school students. Students who work closely with advisors at their high school, and with the College’s success coaches, can earn credits that apply to an NICC career and technical program, or a transferable associate’s degree.
The Waukon Lions Club hosted its annual Waukon High School Honors Banquet at the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon Wednesday, May 1. Students ranking in the top 15% academically of Waukon High School’s 2019 senior class were honored at the event. The evening included a meal served by the Presbyterian Women and an inspirational talk by guest speaker Jay Mathis, Superintendent of the Allamakee Community School District and a Waukon High School Class of 1982 graduate. The honored seniors shared with the audience their future plans and then were presented certificates by Waukon High School Principal Dr. Mike Hardy and Waukon High School Guidance Counselor Amy Wasson. Pictured above are the honored students with speaker Jay Mathis. Left to right - Front row: Megan O’Neill, Michaela Dehli, Leslie Halverson, Molly Brodahl, Madisen Ahlstrom, Aubree Cota; Back row: Brigid Berns, Micah Treptau, guest speaker Jay Mathis, Nathan Helgerson, Lauren Griffith, Lauryn Behrend.
Memorial Day, Monday May 27 from 3-5:30 p.m. at the Town Theater & Pizza Pub (formerly Main Feature Theater & Pizza Pub) in Waukon world renown historian and author Dr. Michael Luick-Thrams will give two presentations entitled “The Enemies Within: Midwest and German POWs in Each Other’s Homes, 1943-48.” Local Veterans and Prisoners of War (POWs) will be honored in between sessions in celebration of Memorial Day.
The event is free and open to everyone. Dr Luick-Thrams will also have copies of his books available for purchase and signing. The event is being co-sponsored by the Robey Memorial Library Foundation Board and the Allamakee County Historical Preservation Society.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, May 13 to address a full agenda of items including discussion relating to the official County Seal, consideration of a temporary part-time Secondary Roads employee and setting the last meeting date of Fiscal-Year 2019 for paying claims.
There were no members of the public in attendance and no Public Comment. The Quarterly Report for Veterans Affairs was accepted and placed on file.
Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick discussed the next agenda item involving the consideration of using the County credit card for an online purchase of floor mats for a Sheriff’s Department vehicle. Mellick discussed the request to purchase floor mats for a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado at $34.45 with the Supervisors approving the purchase using the County credit card.
Volunteers joined forces Saturday, May 4 for a day of tree planting in the Waukon City Park. A total of 51 trees were planted and mulched. This past winter, 52 trees were removed from the City Park that were either dead or that were ash trees in danger of infestation by the Emerald Ash Borer. Pictured above are this year’s tree planting volunteers: Left to right - Joe and Mary Cunningham, Troy Lubahn, Wade Oakland, Charlie Waters, Geralyn Smith, Rick Larson, Sharon Olson, Julie and Tom Bartling, Ken Olson, Bill Claire and Jeremy Strub. Submitted photo.
Nell Hogan, daughter of Mary Hogan of Lansing, has been selected as the 2019 Girls State Citizen by American Legion Auxiliary Unit #722 of Harpers Ferry. Hogan is currently a junior at Kee High School in Lansing. She will attend Girls State 2019 at Drake University in Des Moines June 16-21.
Iowa Girls State is one of the premier programs sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and was all started by a dream of four women over 70 years ago in hopes of teaching young women about the political process. Girls State is a “learning by doing” program, which takes the girls through the entire political process.
